


Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chaos Go Hand in Hand

by APencilinherhand



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-02-13 18:38:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21498682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APencilinherhand/pseuds/APencilinherhand
Summary: Tikki couldn’t stop staring. She forgot Marinette even existed as she looked for the first time upon a face she never thought she’d see again.“Tikki?” Marinette looked from the image, to her kwami, and then back again. “Who's that? A friend of yours?”Tikki felt the cookie in her mouth turn to ash. “No. He's a monster.”
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)/Other(s)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter 1

Tikki wasn’t a glutton like a certain destructive kwami. She didn’t demand sweets at odd hours of the day or act like her life depended on receiving them. This dramatic habit of Plagg’s had annoyed her for centuries, so as a rule, she wasn’t rude or picky about what she was given when powering up. Instead, she kept quiet about her sweet tooth. Because of this, none of her previous Miraculous holders had a clue about her secret obsession with chocolate chip cookies. To Tikki, they were the best cookies to ever exist. Period. As nice as the usual macaroons Marinette gave her when she was powering up, they could never compare to chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven; chewy, and deliciously sweet, with just the perfect amount of crunch. However, since Tikki was pretty good at controlling herself, her love of them went unnoticed...that is until Marinette decided to bake a test batch for Adrien. 

“Alya did some digging for me and it turns out that Adrien really likes these!” Marinette crowed over a bowl of freshly mixed cookie dough.

“Oh?” Tikki said, hovering over the bowl. She really wanted to grab a chocolate chip. 

“I’ll bake one alongside his special macaron.” Marinette continued. She sighed dreamily and clapped her hands together. 

“This is it, Tikki. This is the week I’ll finally give them to him! And he’ll say ‘however did you know that I like these, Marinette?” Her voice deepened as she imitated Adrien. “And then I’ll say, ‘oh you like these? They’re my favorite too! What a coincidence!’ And then he’ll say ‘wow Marinette, we have so much in common! It’s like you know me so well!’ Want to go to the movies with me?’ and then we’ll get married and live happily ever after and have a pet hamster named-” 

She spun in a dramatic circle, scrunched up her small flour-coated nose and let out a powerful sneeze. The sneeze was so intense that it sent the ever-clumsy girl stumbling forward with a yelp. As she fell, she dropped both her rolling pin which rolled away under the dining room table, and her still batter-covered spoon onto the floor, spraying bits of dough all over. Marinette groaned and crawled under the table in search of the rolling pin.

“Maybe I should just slip them into his locker instead.” 

“Nonsense. I’m sure he’ll love them, Marinette!” Tikki chirped, trying hard not to drool at the delicious smell seeping out of the oven. “Gifts from the heart are the best gifts of all.” 

Marinette smiled and dusted herself off. “Thanks, Tikki. I hope you’re right. But I think I’m still going to write a letter...just in case.”  
When Marinette pulled the first tray from the oven, Tikki’s sugar-loving brain short circuited. All she could see were cookies glowing and dancing above her head. She could practically hear an angelic choir singing as Marinette set the tray down and started to gently fan them with a pretty Chinese fan to cool them down. Tikki let out an audible sigh of joy as their heavenly scent hit her. How long had it been since she’d had them? A century? Two? It sure felt like it. Her whole body trembled like wobbly jello. 

“Tikki?” Marinette set down her fan with a puzzled frown. Her tiny kwami was practically buzzing as she stared at the cookies. She’d never seen Tikki act like this. Marinette waved her hand in front of the kwami’s face but she was in a sugar-induced daze. “Tikki!” 

Tikki shook herself like a dog shaking water from its coat. The dancing cookies faded from her vision. She zoomed up to hover beside Marinette. “Yes?”

Marinette cupped her friend in her hands. “Everything ok?”

“Definitely!” Tikki insisted. Her tummy rumbled and she patted it into silence.  
Marinette squinted. “Wait...do you like these cookies?” She broke some off and held it out to Tikki whose eyes lit up. 

“Mayyybe.”

Marinette chuckled. “You totally do. Enjoy it!” 

Tikki took the piece. She nibbled it daintily at first, then while Marinette was distracted by a text from Alya, shoved the whole thing in her mouth. When Marinette turned back around, Tikki’s cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk’s. 

“Oh Tikki,” she laughed. “Hopefully Adrien likes them as much as you do.” Then she frowned at the text and flipped the screen around to show her kwami several drawings of Ladybug throughout the ages. “Alya’s investigating again.” 

Tikki gasped as one familiar image caught her eye. 

“What? What is it?” Marinette enlarged the image which looked like an Egyptian Ladybug in the arms of an unfamiliar, yet handsome man. "Oh wow."  
Tikki couldn’t stop staring. She forgot Marinette even existed as she looked for the first time upon a face she never thought she’d see again. 

“Tikki?” Marinette looked from the image, to her kwami, and then back again. “Who's that? A friend of yours?”

Tikki felt the cookie in her mouth turn to ash. “No. He's a monster.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: In this story, Tikki is connected both emotionally and physically to her miraculous owners when they are in their Ladybug forms. Therefore, she is aware of what is going on around her when they are connected/melded together and can feel their emotions/thoughts to an extent. 
> 
> This story will contain flashbacks. I'll put '***' before and after them. You can skip this one if you absolutely hate flashbacks. :) Enjoy!

* * *

“A monster??” 

Oops. Tikki hadn’t meant to say that out loud. She was getting as careless as Plagg. While there wasn’t magic specifically preventing her from doing so, she didn’t like to talk about her past with her miraculous holders. It never ended well. 

“Don’t worry about it, Marinette! That was centuries ago.” She hovered around the bakery with nervous energy, flitting from window to window as though worried of what she might find there. Seeing him on that image, retrieved via a rubbing done of a temple wall carving, made Tikki antsy. She remembered the day that he and her Ladybug, Bahiti, had posed for the artist. 

_ *** _

_ The sculptor trembled as he worked. _

Ladybug was considered a goddess in the flesh, and immortalizing her in stone was a great honor without room for error. He didn’t dare to look into her eyes for fear that he’d be instantly cast into Duat and Ammit, the devourer of souls, would eat his heavy heart. This turned a two hour process into a five hour one. 

Bahiti rolled her eyes and scrunched up her nose. She’d been holding the same position for ages and her whole body hummed with nervous energy. What she wouldn’t give to be running along the Nile’s banks after a villain instead of being stuck inside. At least then she’d be doing something productive. She rubbed her cheek against her shoulder, trying to scratch her ear. The sculptor made little tutting sounds under his breath, and she sighed and shifted back into position. It was all so pointless. In a hundred years no one would remember or worship her anyway. She hated the frightened, stilted bows and attention everyone gave her, like she was somehow more important than they were. Maybe she was, but not by choice. Never by choice. 

“Smile. You’re grimacing like you just smelled camel dung.” Raseph whispered. 

“If you bathed once in a while, I wouldn’t be smelling anything.” she shot back. There was no malice behind her words. It was part of their everyday banter. Her friend didn’t care that she was supposed to be worshipped, and for that, she was forever grateful. 

He flashed an irreverent grin. “Your poor followers. They’re going to be praying to that immortalized pout of yours every day.” 

“They should have thought of that before they stuck me here with someone as rude as you.” 

“You love me.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she pretend glared back. 

“As much as I love a sunburn.” 

“I could drop you, you know.” he murmured in her ear. “Right on your royal-”

“Please stay still.” the sculptor begged. As frightened as he was, the man was having none of their excessive movement. Bahiti had completely forgotten he was even there. She chuckled but relaxed obediently back into the pose. 

_ That was the last time Tikki recalled Bahiti's smile. _

_ *** _

Marinette drew all the curtains shut, darkening the room, which jolted Tikki back into the present. She turned to face her friend with folded arms. “Spill.” She squinted. “Who was he? Was he akumatized?  _ Or… _ ” her eyes widened at the thought, “...another Hawkmoth?” 

Tikki shook her head. “It’s... pretty fuzzy. We kwamis live so long that it’s hard to remember everything. Besides, it’s all ancient history now anyway.” Her tone was chipper but strained. She’d never been good at lying. It was against her character and she hated how humans could do it with such ease. But sometimes, even she made an exception. Some things were best left in the past. 

Marinette frowned. She wasn’t buying it, but she was wise enough not to push things further, which Tikki appreciated. “Hmm...if you say so.” 

“Definitely! Now go give the love of your life the best cookies in Paris.” 

Tikki nudged Marinette toward the plate of chocolate chip cookies, which had been temporarily forgotten. Marinette giggled, already getting that soft, faraway look in her eyes she got whenever she thought about Adrien. “I don’t know about the  _ best _ .” 

“Well I do. He’s going to love them. You’re very talented.” Tikki hovered by Marinette’s ear, giving her cheek a kwami cuddle. 

* * *

Tikki caught herself looking over her shoulder uneasily for the rest of the day. Every time a shadow moved, she jumped. Obviously he couldn’t come after her. She was being paranoid, and yet she couldn’t shake the growing sense of dread. She had locked him out of her mind, like so many other triumphs and tragedies, but now, the vault where she kept those memories had flung open. Who knew what else might spill free?

_ Oh Raseph. Why did you have to find that scarab?  _

She wished she could talk to Master Fu about it, but he didn’t even remember she existed. Maybe the newly resurrected monks at the old temple would be able to help...but then again, if she made contact with them, who knows if they’d try and take her back and lock her in a box for another hundred years for her own “protection.” And Marinette...as much as Tikki loved and trusted her miraculous holder, she was better off being happy and oblivious to Tikki’s mistakes. Besides, the man in the image was her burden, not Master Fu’s, Marinette’s, or anyone else’s. She’d created him, after all, and as a kwami of creation, he was her deepest regret.

Tikki shook her head, pulling her thoughts out of ancient Egypt. It wasn’t like her to dwell. Her life now was all that mattered; protecting Paris by fighting Hawkmoth with Marinette brought her such joy and purpose. She smiled from her perch upon the bust in the corner of Marinette’s bedroom. Marinette sat at her sewing table humming to herself as she worked on her latest fashion creation: a small, spherical handbag that reminded Tikki of an iridescent chocolate orange. She was passing time waiting for Adrien to get out of fencing practice. If she arrived too early, Natalie dutifully kicked her out, but if she came late, Adrien would already be locked inside under house arrest.  Suddenly, Marinette’s phone buzzed to life and she yelped and dove for it, grabbing it as it threatened to vibrate off the table. 

“Hey Alya. Wait what? Slow down.” Her eyes widened and she clutched the phone. “Empty? Missing? Of course I'll come. Right now? I’m... actually right in the middle of uh--bathing my... neighbor’s parrot, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. No I’m serious! It escaped out a window and fell in a pile of- well, actually it’s a pretty boring story. I'll see you soon!” 

“A  _ parrot _ ?” Tikki zipped about Marinette as she hurriedly shoved things into her backpack. “You know someday she’s not going to buy your excuses anymore.” 

“I know. I need to work on them.” Marinette tucked a small package containing Adrien’s chocolate chip cookie and macaron safely into an inner pocket. “What?” Marinette said when Tikki gave her a look. “Maybe we’ll have time to see Adrien after going to the museum.”

“What’s at the museum?”

“Apparently a sarcophagus just got put on display,” Marinette said, throwing on her coat. It was a dreary day outside and she was prone to freezing without the magic of her Ladybug costume. "Alya said it opened in front of her and something walked out and started terrifying people, then vanished. Sounds like another akumatization to me. Let’s go!” 

With that, she took off down the stairs, out the door, and burst onto the streets of Paris. 


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien had a secret. Granted, as Chat Noir he had many, but this one was an Adrien _only_ secret. And that was his bicycle. Feeling the wind in his hair as he raced across Paris was one of the few sensations of freedom that Adrien Agreste had outside of his leather suit. With a helmet and sunglasses on, he was practically unrecognizable, which meant that in his meager free time he could roam the streets to his heart’s content.  Strictly speaking, the old blue and white bike belonged to his mother; one day when he was detransforming as Chat Noir in one of the garden sheds, he’d found it tucked away. The seat creaked when he rode, it didn’t have hand brakes, and the tires occasionally deflated at the worst possible times, but Adrien didn’t care. It was _his_. 

His father would never understand. He thought bicycles were pointless and dangerous when the family limousine could safely transport Adrien wherever he needed to go. Adrien chuckled to himself, neatly avoiding a pothole. If only his father knew. As if the dangers of cycling could even come _close_ to nearly being devoured by a dinosaur or plummeting off of the Eiffel Tower more times than he could count. 

He wove past a crowd celebrating the unveiling of a new mural, and waved at Andre the ice cream man as he whizzed by. The kind matchmaker’s ice cream was legendary but it hadn’t worked on him and Ladybug...not yet anyway. Adrien shook away the pain in his chest. He refused to quit hoping. If he gave up on love, he’d be as miserable as his father, and that fate was the most dangerous of all. 

He zoomed around a corner, and nearly crashed. The street was littered with pigeons. Not odd, considering that it was Paris, but these pigeons didn’t flap away on sight. They stared in frozen birdy horror at a dark, uncovered manhole. Scattered around the hole was...sand? Adrien frowned, dismounted, and crept into the flock. 

“M..Monsieur Ramier?” he called softly so as not to scare the timid man known in his akumatized form as Mr. Pigeon. He was usually never far from the cooing birds he so dearly loved. But now Adrien was only met by silence. 

Adrien swallowed hard and peered down into the manhole. It was dark in the alley and he couldn’t see the bottom of the hole. The whole thing felt odd. He knelt and picked up a pile of sand, letting it trail through his fingers. Then he sighed and replaced the manhole cover. The moment he did, his phone screamed to life making him jump. The pigeons blinked and fluttered off as if he’d broken a spell. 

Nino’s face popped up above the number. 

“Bro! You’re not going to believe. What’s going down. At the museum.” Nino sounded like he was running. “Big guy. Glowing eyes. And scarab around his neck. Just busted out of a tomb.”

“What? I’m on my way.” Adrien didn’t waste any time grabbing his bike and peddling haphazardly away from the alley, forgetting entirely about the odd behavior of the pigeons “Plagg. Claws out!” He transformed in a bright flash of light behind a sign of himself and when he arrived on the other side, his outfit was replaced with sleek black leather. 

  
  
  
  



	4. The Museum

Ladybug swooped through the museum doors and dropped into a fighting stance. “Alright, akuma, prepare to be- huh?” She straightened up. The museum’s front lobby, normally bustling with life and activity, was eerily silent and empty. Even Alya seemed to have vanished. 

“Hello?” Ladybug called, peeking around corners cautiously as she made her way to the Egyptian exhibit. “Is anyone here?”

The exhibit was a disaster. Sand the color of fragmented gold covered the floor and coated the glass displays in dust. Some exhibits were buried so deeply that they looked as though they needed to be excavated all over again. Everywhere there were footprints of fleeing citizens who had avoided the attack, but not everyone was so lucky. Several new statues peppered the Egyptian exhibit, all in various states of fleeing. 

Ladybug covered her mouth with her gloved hand to quiet her gasp. An elderly man’s terrified features were perfectly preserved in a statue of sandstone. His cane was still raised in the air to protect himself against his attacker. Each statue told pieces of the panic that had insured there. 

In the center of the exhibit sat an empty sarcophagus, with the lid propped against the side, but there was no trail of footprints leaving it or any sign of an akumatized villain at the scene. Ladybug could have screamed in frustration. She’d been too late. She’d missed the villain and allowed him to cause chaos all because she’d been baking cookies instead of paying attention to the city. Where was the akuma now? Or Alya? Or  _ Chat  _ ? Ladybug slid open her yo-yo to reveal the screen beneath it. No new messages.

Before she could select anyone to call, someone snatched her wrist and dragged her into a nearby alcove.

-

Even though her powers spread and stretched her beyond her visible form when she and Marinette transformed, Tikki was aware of everything, and the  _ stench  _ of magic that hit her when they’d first entered the exhibit was enough to strike panic shooting into her little heart. She recognized it instantly. It was ancient, but it transported her back through the ages to the moment she’d first smelled it. If only she could communicate with Marinette in this form. But she was a silent, trapped witness to the turmoils of her own past. 

***

_ Behati touched her toe to the surface of the river. _

She dragged it back and forth to create ripples, then retreated to stretch out on the dock, letting the sun bathe her in its warmth as if she were a crocodile. It was a beautiful morning, and the sky was not yet shimmering with heat. She’d spent the morning racing the river creatures along the banks, and swinging from tree to tree with the help of her magical yo-yo. It was glorious, but she wished people wouldn’t always cheer as she went past. It scared the animals away and made her want to hide among the thick reeds. Unfortunately, her red outfit was not exactly subtle, and sometimes it was impossible to hide.

“Tiki...do you ever wish you could live in a bubble?” She murmured dreamily. Her eyes were closed but she could feel the sun caressing her lids. “Existing in a perfect moment forever without villains or other citizens messing everything up?” She rolled onto her stomach. 

Tikki giggled and curled up in Behati’s hair. “You forget that I already  _ have  _ lived in a place like that. The miracle box suspends me outside of reality as long as I’m there.” Her little smile faltered. Some times longer than others. 

Behati sighed. “I wish I could climb inside that box. Don’t you ever get tired of being worshipped? I envy Raseph’s freedom. It would be so nice to just be normal. Even outside my suit everyone knows me.” 

Tikki’s eyes fluttered open and she felt something strange and warm glowing in her chest at the mention of his name. 

“I think he envies  _ you  _ . Raspeh would make a great miraculous holder,” she said faintly. 

Behati snorted. “You’re right. He’d probably love to be adored.” She scratched her ear before rising to her feet. “Let’s go. I have a marriage union to bless in Rosetta.” 

***

Chat Noir crouched inside the museum with a frown. His heightened senses caught the scent of something foul and unusual. It smelled meaty and putrid, like jerky had been wrapped up in sheets and rotted in the sun. His green eyes widened in recognition. He’d smelled the same thing earlier at the manhole. 

“Ladybug?” He prowled through the sand. Ladybug was nowhere to be seen. His heart pounded as he found himself examining the statues for her face, but thankfully she wasn’t among them. With a flick of his thumb, he opened his staff and selected her smiling face. It went immediately to voicemail. 

-

Ladybug squirmed and twisted free of her would-be assailant, only to stop short and sag in relief when she recognized them. “Alya? You’re okay! What happened-mmph!” Alya slapped a hand to the superheroine’s mouth. Her eyes were huge behind her large glasses and she held a finger to her lips before she slowly pulled her hand away and typed something hastily on her phone.

**TRAP! Warn Chat Noir!**

But it was too late for Ladybug to do anything but watch as a bright bolt of light shot from the corner directly toward her unsuspecting partner.


	5. The Scarab 1

Initiating weddings was boring, but at least they paid well. It was against Bahiti’s code to charge for any actual hero work, but a girl had to eat somehow. While her fame and goddess status ensured she’d never truly starve, Bahiti would trade her endless supply of mead for some dates in an instant. She hummed and munched on a stash of the tasty fruits as she wove her way through the market. Her full pouch of food and other goods jingled and bounced against her hip.

The market was one of her favorite places. Everywhere people shouted out their wares, begging for a trade. The cacophony of noise comforted Bahiti. Everyone was too busy with their own shopping to care about her or who she was or what she could or should do for them. Interesting stalls piled high with trinkets, spices, foods, and scrolls enticed her and she lingered long at one that sold lapis lazuli and silver bracelets, but eventually moved on to the stacked papryus and parchment scrolls.

She couldn’t read, but Raseph had been teaching himself every night. He only owned one, and as proud as she was of his progress, she didn’t know if she could sit through him telling her the same story for a twentieth time. One of her delicate gold earrings went to purchase a neatly rolled parchment for him.

“He’ll love it, Bahiti!” Tikki chirped, picturing how his face would light up when he saw his present. Raseph was beautiful when he smiled. Tikki couldn’t help but hum a happy little tune at the thought.

“He’d _better_ appreciate it,” Bahiti said, pretending to grumble as she tucked the roll into her belt. “It shouldn’t cost so much for a skin with some ink on it. Even if it_ does_ supposedly last longer than papyrus.”

Tikki rolled her eyes, then gasped and tugged gently on Bahiti’s ear. “Look!” On the next stand over, sat a large array of stone scarab beetles. The popular protection and regeneration amulets ranged in size and detail. Some were as tiny as Bahiti’s pinky fingernail and intricately carved, while others were crudely made and as large as her entire hand.

One of the scarabs was a deep purple hue and had been made into a necklace. It shone in the light from its place on the woven mat. While Bahiti didn’t believe in their magical properties, she did believe in accessorizing. The necklace would look amazing against her ladybug robes. The charm glimmered tantalizingly.

As Bahiti leaned closer, she felt the noise of the marketplace slow and dull. Her stomach clenched in anticipation as it often did when she was about to enter a fight. _I deserve this_, she suddenly thought. _I deserve this more than anyone._ However, as soon her fingers brushed its polished surface, they were zapped by a painful shock. “Ouch!” she hissed, dropping it back into place. Immediately the spell was broken and her desire for the scarab vanished. The hubbub returned. Bahiti blinked, then squinted hard at the amulet, which appeared the picture of innocence upon its mat.

“I thought scarabs were supposed to protect you from pain, not cause it,” she muttered ruefully as she fanned the sting from her fingers.

“Maybe it thinks you’re competition,” Tikki teased. “After all, you’ve been doing such a wonderful great job protecting everyone. It’s no secret that people are buying fewer scarabs and more ladybugs.”

Bahiti rolled her eyes. “That just shows how fickle everyone is. Scarabs have been around for centuries, and yet they turn from them as soon as they find something new to put their faith in. You’ll see, Tikki. In a few years, they’ll move on from ladybugs too.”

Tikki’s body hummed with a jittery, familiar warmth. Being a kwami, she could sense the strong flavor of magic seeping out of the scarab. It tasted attractive, like honeycomb, mixed with just a hint of bitterness. Tikki hovered over the scarab, circling it thoughtfully. Bahiti may have decided against it, but she hadn’t.

“You’re not thinking of getting that thing, are you?” Bahiti protested. “May I remind you that you never bring your own goods to trade and I already have to use mine to purchase suspicious amounts of honey cake every time you get a craving.”

“I haven’t gotten Raseph anything yet.” Tikki poked the scarab with a toe to see if it’d shock her too. Nothing. Only that ever present tug of power. It had to be quite a strong protection charm to emanate so much. That’s precisely why she wanted it. Raseph had the same reckless, impulsive spirit as her owner without the benefit of a kwami to keep him from harm.

Ah, Raseph. His safety wasn’t important to him. Just last week he’d nearly been trampled by a chariot he dove in front of to save a toddling girl. He fought bandits he stood no chance against. He was always getting into trouble for others and wrapped his broken ribs without a whimper. He’d smile at Bahiti with such tenderness it hardly felt fair. With his loyal, passionate heart, and actual desire to help people, he’d have made a much better Ladybug than Bahiti, who always complained about having to be a hero…

No. Tikki shook her head. She shouldn’t think like that. She had an owner already. A _wonderful_ owner.

“He’ll think I forgot his birthday.” she added weakly, tossing images of his gaze from her mind like grains of sand.

“He isn’t even supposed to know you exist.”

“It’s the thought that counts.”

Bahiti rolled her eyes. “He’s going to think I like him or something. But fine.” She fished an item out of her pouch to start the trade. “It’s hard to say no to someone as sweet and thoughtful as you.”

Tikki said nothing.

* * *

Bahiti wrinkled her nose as she passed a stall full of freshly caught fish that still smelled of the coast. One flopped helplessly. Its dull eyes seemed to watch her as she went past, and its mouth opened and closed rhythmically, as if it were trying to beg for help. She shuddered and looked away. While she loved eating fish, it hurt to see them suffer. Suddenly, the market felt a little less comforting. She tossed the now empty bag of dates as far as she could, and ran.

The fish’s gasping face stayed with her long after she left the busy square. It felt cathartic to run. Her legs pumped and her sandals repeatedly hit the dust. She increased her speed and relished in how sweat coated her skin in a faint sheen. What would happen if she just kept running until the city was a speck on the horizon? The thought pushed her to a sprint.

“You can’t outrun everything,” Tikki chided as she zipped beside her owner.

“I can try.”

* * *

Alya truly was a wonderful investigator. Inquisitive and stubborn, she’d stick by a case no matter what. After all, the Ladyblog was a hungry creature that depended on Alya. It needed new stories to keep it alive. Ever since that first akuma attack in the Egyptian exhibit, where she’d learned how old Ladybug really was, she’d wanted to investigate further during her free time. Alya just never guessed that she’d be using that time to physically haul a frantic Ladybug away from a maniac in a loincloth.

Ladybug’s blue eyes were determined as she fought Alya’s grip. “Alya, let go of me!” she hissed. “Chat needs my help!”

Alya shook her head and dug her heels into the floor as she slowly dragged the superheroine toward a nearby passageway. “If he gets you too, Chat’s toast.”

“I can hear you,” the owner of the loincloth said in a sing-song tone. Alya and Ladybug froze. “Why bother hiding?” he continued. “You can't escape my time bubble.” His footsteps strolled closer. A large bronze vessel mounted nearby captured his warped reflection.

He was young. Dark braids were pulled half back away from his face, leaving the rest to brush against his shoulders. His eyes were lined with kohl. The scarab around his neck glowed purple. “Soon I’ll grow tired of searching and just start using my staff.” He slammed it into the ground and let it scrape across the tile. “You know...being trapped in stone for all this time was quite the experience for me. You’d expect it’d feel like being asleep.” He chuckled darkly. “But oh no. You’re awake the whole time and fully aware...” That achingly familiar face hardened. “...Of every. Single. Thing.”

* * *

Tikki’s mind raced in an icy stream of panic. _Raseph_? This was bad. How did he get free? How could he have gotten a hold of the scarab she’d gone to such lengths to destroy? They had to get out of the museum. _Now_.

* * *

Chat Noir’s groan came out more like a small mewl. One minute he’d been looking around the museum, and the next, he’d been dodging a blast so intense that it flung him into the corner of a display and left him dazed. He scrambled up to search for his Lady, but doubled over almost immediately as pain laced his ribs. At least he hadn’t been turned to stone. Chat could see her from his angle. She was struggling against Alya’s clutches, reaching for him from around the corner of a pillar. What was _ Alya _ doing here? 

He had no time to think about that further, for the owner of the blast was headed straight toward him. Wounded, and without the ability to run away, Chat summoned the one thing he had left. 

“Cataclysm!” he said fiercely, pulling his aching limbs into a crouch as he summoned the destructive powers which could demolish a building at a single touch. This time, however,...nothing happened. No powers bloomed dark in his fist. No surge of energy ran through him. It felt like he’d turned on a light switch during a power outage. Uh no. Chat shook his wrist and spoke the command again. Nothing. Not good. He could hear his heart thudding in his ears as he locked eyes with Ladybug and mouthed the word

_ Go. _

Just then, the figure rounded the corner and their eyes met. 

Chat Noir scooted back, only to find his spine pressed against another display. He was trapped and powerless. 

“You’re going down,” he said, raising his fists in an attempt to look intimidating. 

The stranger’s lips curved into a smile. 

“Why threaten the one who’s about to give you everything you've ever wanted?” 


	6. The Scarab II

Chat blinked. He wasn’t used to villains deviating from their normal threats to take his miraculous and level the city. “A-All I want is you brought to justice!” he stammered, angling his baton like a sword.

The man’s hand curled tightly around his own staff, but he made no move to attack or turn Chat to stone. “Oh come now. It’s obvious you desire more.” 

“What's that supposed to mean?” 

The man studied him. He tilted his head in Ladybug’s direction and gave Chat a pitying pout. “Doesn’t it hurt to know that all you’ll ever be to her is a sidekick?”

Chat bristled in silence as he tried to quiet his hyperventilating lungs. He and the man circled each other slowly, never taking their eyes off of each other. What could this fiend possibly know about their relationship? 

The man continued on as if he'd read Chat's thoughts. “I know how it feels. You long to prove to her that you’re more than a second rate assistant; you think that if you’re always at her side, she’ll eventually see you.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “Pitiful. You are disposable.” He studied Chat’s empty palms with a tilted head. “A burden even. Unless...you act.” He lifted the charm’s chain and let it swing back and forth in a lazy, hypnotizing fashion. 

Chat’s eyes widened and his ears drooped a bit. A burden to his lady? The many times when he’d failed to assist her suddenly swirled like a blizzard in his mind. He always tried to protect her, but there were times when he had caused problems, like when he’d failed to save her as Aspik, or his chauffeur had turned into a gorilla and attacked them. He’d been helpless then. Did she hold it against him? He shook himself. This villain was clever. Chat couldn’t let him know that his words stung. He frowned at the object. “What is that thing?”

His opponent cracked a smirk. “This is the Scarab. It creates pockets in time. You can live out your whole life there proving yourself to your queen. When you return to the real world, no time will have passed. Only those inside the pocket world change.” 

Chat hesitated for a moment, and then scoffed. “How thoughtful of you. Did you offer deals to all the people you trapped in here and turned to stone, or am I special?” He shot a glance toward the corner where Ladybug was still lingering. Why hadn’t she left yet? Chat needed to stall so she could escape and kick butt. The man’s earlier words irked him.  
“You’re wrong about us, by the way. We’re equal partners!” Chat added, although it wasn’t entirely true. Ladybug did everything important. When he wasn’t being a burden, his role was mainly to distract akumatized victims and buy her time. Like right now, for instance. Not that he minded, of course. “I’d... rather never see her if it meant there was no evil left in this city. Besides, a villain would never try to help anyone but themselves.” 

His adversary tutted. “No need to hiss at me. I’m not your enemy. I’m the man offering you the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s clear you need it.” 

“The only thing we need is your surrender.” Chat snapped, twirling his staff, although he still looked jittery. “Give up this fight. Turn everyone back from stone!” 

But more time with her is what you’ve always dreamt of, his inner voice countered. Shut up, he thought back, ignoring the temptation. When the man’s back was to her, Ladybug finally slipped out from her hiding place and pulled Alya along with her. She didn’t look back. It was clear she expected Chat’d be there like he always was, being her cover fire. Was she even planning on helping him? Deep lines formed between his eyes. No. He couldn’t think like that. Ladybug always had a plan. He’d seen her decipher even the strangest lucky charms and save the day countless times. Surely she would swoop in after she got Alya to safety. But first, he needed to get out of here and figure out what was wrong with his cataclysm. Without his powers, he'd be useless to his partner in this fight.  
That wouldn’t be enough to make him disposable though...would it?

The man shrugged, oblivious to Chat’s inner turmoil. “I rather like my statues. They add to the ambiance.” He strolled over to one; its face was twisted in fear. He leaned against it. “She can hear this little interaction, you know.” He tapped the statue’s nose. “No matter how much she screams, she’s trapped in limbo between a nightmare and reality. It’s horrible, I can assure you.” He held up his hand as Chat lunged with a bellow of anger at him. “You can’t save her, so don’t even bother. It took me four thousand years to get out of that prison and I’m still not sure how I escaped.” 

“You’re a monster.” Chat growled.

“Monsters and heroes. Such ridiculous measures of merit. You and I are both fighting for a balance of power. Power lets you live without compromise. Isn’t that what we all want?” He gestured at the museum around them. “Think about it. You could be together in this bubble for as long as you wanted. As equals instead of this pitiful excuse for an unbalanced partnership. Go ahead. Vanquish me into the underworld if I’m truly wrong about you two.” He flicked his hand aimlessly. “Ah, but I’m not, am I?” 

He leaned forward and tapped the end of Chat’s staff with a finger, moving it casually out of the way until he stood close enough that Chat could smell sandalwood oil on his skin. Being in such close proximity, Chat noticed for the first time how young the villain was. While he talked like an old man he had to be in his twenties or thirties. Was he an akumatized victim or something else entirely? No matter what, he’d already terrorized the museum goers and turned many to stone.

“You know nothing about us. But I know we will do everything we can to bring you to justice.” Chat’s eyes darkened. “And we don’t lose.” 

“Your hostility is exhausting, little kitten. I’m merely trying to share my good fortune with a new generation. Truly, I’m a philanthropist at heart-” 

Before he could finish his sentence, a right hook slammed into his jaw, whipping his head to the side. The man's eyes widened and he let out a guttural grunt of shock and pain and clenched his chin. Chat stood before him, eyes huge, stunned by his own knee jerk reaction. His hands were still curled in fists. The man’s smirk sank into stern sharpness  
as he raised his staff.

"That wasn't very wise."

Chat didn’t stick around to hear more. He took off at a limping sprint and skidded out of sight down a long hallway until he no longer heard footsteps echoing behind him. With a last burst of adrenaline, he ducked into a dark modern art display room full of mirrors and blacklights and slumped against a wall.

“Claws off, Plagg,” he murmured. Light bathed him in viridian.  
His hand stung from the impact it’d made with the man’s face. Punching the villain had felt good, but now his chest was beginning to feel queasy. He curled his hand tightly into a fist. Frustration and temptation were building up in his body like a flood pressing against a weakening dam. 

Ladybug’s beautiful yet worried blue eyes flashed across his mind’s eye. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen them soften or heard her laugh. With the weight of Paris on their shoulders, they both grew more serious and hardened by the day. There was no time for more. Unless…  
If the villain was telling the truth, Adrien could restore the lost time that Hawkmoth had stolen from their youth. Adrien could fix everything. He owed it to his lady to try, even if she never saw him as anything but a friend. He valued her friendship the most anyway. Didn’t he? He could see the scarab glittering in his mind’s eye and a dark part of him craved it. 

The pull of another world, a place where he could start over and be free for once in his life with the girl of his dreams was intoxicating. They’d be safe and free to do whatever they wanted. Isn’t that what everyone wants? A second chance? Ladybug’s power was all about giving the world a second chance. Would it be so wrong to give her one?

Ugh. He covered his face with his hands and threw his head back to rid himself of the image. The back of his skull hit the wall once, twice. The pain, sharp enough to bring tears to his eyes, provided a much needed distraction. 

This was so selfish. What was he thinking? He knew better than anyone that even the best intentioned protections can become nothing but a lonely cage. He wouldn’t let anyone he loved experience the pain of being trapped and alone. Especially not Ladybug.  
Except...she wouldn’t be alone, a small voice seemed to whisper. You’d be there too. And you’d never make her feel hurt or rejected. Never. Would you?

“Kid?” Plagg zipped around his head in concerned circles. “You alright? You look worse than me after that akuma ate my last slice of camembert.” 

“I’m ok, Plagg,” he said. His words echoed softly through the exhibit and disappeared like smoke into the air. “I promise.” 

\--  
“The Ladybloggers are never going to believe this!” Alya exclaimed as she frantically typed in her phone, adding an update to her popular superhero blog. She and Ladybug had moved up two floors for safety and were currently hidden in a new exhibit.

“Uh huh,” Ladybug muttered distractedly, looking around the area for anything that could be useful in a fight. They’d landed in a hallway with a beautifully vaulted ceiling and arched windows. The only occupants of the space were marbled statues and busts. One ominous piece was simply a severed head on a plate. 

Ladybug swallowed hard and checked her yoyo again for anything from her partner. (0 unread messages). Chat was still out there. She hated that she’d let herself be dragged away but she couldn’t endanger Alya. Her brow furrowed. She hadn’t been close enough to overhear the conversation between Chat and the villain but he’d seemed visibly rattled enough to worry her. Why hadn’t he used his cataclysm? Was it not working? She needed him to be alright.  
“Anddd update sent!” Alya crowed. Then frowned and squinted at her phone. “Scratch that...I’ve got no wifi signal. Maybe that’s why Chat hasn’t messaged yet.” She showed Ladybug her screen. “There are no networks to be found... anywhere in the museum.” 

“That’s strange,” Ladybug murmured. “I didn’t see anything the villain had that would knock out the wifi.”

“You know what? Don’t worry about it. I’ll keep trying,” Alya assured her, hopping and waving her phone around as she searched the room for a signal. “You focus on getting Chat back.”

Ladybug nodded, but inside her heart was pounding wildly. On the wall was a map of the Louvre, showing its many floors and rooms. She traced an invisible path with her gloved fingertip to their path back to the lobby. The museum was massive. A dozen more rooms and stairways stood between her and where she’d last seen Chat. He’d be hard to locate since he could have escaped to any number of places. ...If he had escaped.

Ladybug worriedly checked her yoyo again. Still no new messages. She needed to find him, and fast. If he didn’t have his powers, he was a sitting duck. But then again...so was Alya. What if the villain showed up and hurt her while Ladybug was looking for her partner? She knew her friend was very capable but still...she didn’t have a super suit or a magical yoyo that she could use to swing out of the way of a madman’s attacks. Ladybug needed to protect two people at once in two completely different locations. To make matters worse, she had no idea how to defeat the villain they were facing. Akumatized victims of Hawkmoth were tough but they were always predictable. They wanted two things. Hers and Chat Noir’s miraculouses. But this villain had seemingly made no effort to get them. He'd known she was there. She knew it. He'd even smiled in her direction. He’d looked oddly familiar, but she didn't know why. What did he want?

Ladybug swallowed hard and shivered. Not knowing his motives made them seem all the more sinister. She needed to get back to Chat. Her ribs hurt from where Alya had forcibly held her back. She rubbed them. How much worse must Chat have felt when he'd been injured? It was all her fault for not getting to him in time. She should have fought harder to save him, but she'd been so afraid for Alya. How could she have left him like that?

"I'm coming, Chat," she whispered. "I promise." But first, she needed a plan. Even more, she needed her kwami friend’s advice. What would Tikki do in this situation?  
She glanced sideways and noticed a sign that read ‘Women’s Lavatory.’ 

“Alya, do you think you’d be alright by yourself for a minute?” 

“Of course, Ladybug but-” 

“I’ll be right back!” Ladybug called, sprinting for the bathroom. “Uh...bathroom emergency! Text me if you need me.” She practically dove headfirst into the farthest stall and quickly spoke the magic words to detransform herself. 

Tikki spluttered to life speaking a million words a second. “Raseph-” she huffed, whizzing about like she had just drunk a ton of caffeine. “Scarab! We need to go!” 

“Hey, hey, slow down.” Marinette cradled her little friend in her hands. The kwami trembled. She looked exhausted even though they’d yet to do any real fighting. Marinette wordlessly handed her Adrien’s special chocolate chip cookie-she’d forgotten to restock the usual kwami fuel in her haste- which Tikki devoured in a very Plagg-like fashion. 

“Now.” Marinette said as her friend finished chewing. “Who is this villain and what does he want?” 

Tikki was nearly in tears. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, Marinette. I never meant to get you mixed up in any of this.” 

“Mixed up in /what?/”

Tikki took a deep breath and began her tale.

A/N  
Please review! I love your feedback :)

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy! Not sure where this is going to go, but that's half the fun, isn't it?


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